Electric switch



No. 62l,263. Pate nted Mar. I4, 189%.

A. E. MAGCOUN.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

A nmiofi filed Mar. 2a, 1399.

(No Model.)

w 1| v 111| .11 JL ,1

WITNESSES INVENTOR drum thus made up are placed two longitudiand passing through insulated bushings in apart and separatedby disks 9,which are pref- I erably of greater diameter than the plates.

4 cured to the inner faces of the bars.

UNITED STATES,

PATENT OFFICE.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters fatent No. 621,263, dated. March 14, 1899.

Application filed March 28, 1898.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW E. MACOOUN, of Braddock, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric Switches, of which the following is'a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a vertical transverse section of my improved switch; and Fig. 2 is a front ole-- vation of the same, partly broken away.

My invention relates to the switches or cutouts employed for breaking heavy electric currents automatically, and especially to those heed for large electric elevators and blast-fun nace hoists, and it is designed to providea switch for this purpose which will avoid the liability to heavy sparking or arcing and the consequent destruction of the switch.

In the drawings, 2 represents a base-plate having vertical end standards 3 3, within which is carried the shaft 4. This shaft is provided between the standards with abushing or collar 5, of insulating material, keyed to the shaft, as shown. Surrounding this bushing are a series of disks or plates 6, of conducting material, which are cut away to form radial arms, at the ends of which are sesured contact plates or tips 7,which are pref= erably curved, as shown; and secured to the ends of the arms by countersunk screws. Between the conducting-tips these sections or plates are provided with-a layer 8, of an insulating material, and the plates are spaced These plates maybe keyed to theinsulatingbushing or otherwise secured thereto, so as to rotate with the shaft. .At each side of the nal bars 10 10, of conducting material, these bars preferably being .reduced at their ends the standards, to which they are secured. Each bar is provided with several pairs of spring arms or fingers .11 11, which may be adjusted by set-screws 12, passing therethrough and bearing upon brackets 13, se-

These spring -arms are adjusted so that they will bear with the desired pressure upon the conseal 1a. 675,407. on model) tact-tips bf the sections, each bar having a pair of thesev arms for each section of the drum. The current is led to one of the longitudinal bars 10 by any suitable connection, such as shown at 14, and when the drum is swung into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. l the spring-arms will bear upon the radial arms of the sections and the current passing throughthese sections will be taken off by the spring-arms of the opposite bar, from which bar-it is led to the desired point.

' The drum may be oscillated by any suitable connection with the projecting end of the shaft. a

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, since the current passing through the conducting-bar will be split up and pass in opposite direction through the. several fingers and then be'coh looted by the several fingers ofthe other bar,

so that when the drum is swung to the position shown in full lines there will be little or .no danger of sparking and burning of the switch.

The device is especially adapted in connection with large electric elevators and blastfurnace hoists and is operated as follows:-

When the switch is thrown into the position shown in dotted lines, the circuit to the motor is completed, and the operator can throw in his controller and start the hoist. When the hoist reaches the'desired height, a screw or cam arrangement geared to the main elevator-drum strikes a lug and shifts the switch into the position shown in full lines independently of the operator or whether his controller is on or ofi. This breaks the circuit, and the-hoist stops at the desired point. To start again, the operator must turn 0E his controller and againthrow the switch into the position represented by dotted lines.

This switch can also be used for short-circuiting the fields of a motor and may be thrown from one position to'another by a cam geared to the'hoisting-drum, the elevator thus. being speeded up and slowed down whenever desired. T

Many variations in the form and arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from my invention, since What I claim is- 1. An electric switch comprising a rotatory drum having a series of conducting-sections laterally insulated from each other, a bar to which the current isled, said bar having electrically connected conducting fingers arranged to bearupon the sections'and splitup the current, and another bar having electrically-connected fingers arranged to bear upon the sectionsand collect the split-up current; substantially as described.

2. In an electric switch, a shaft or drum having conducting-sections mounted thereon andinsulated from each other, each section having projecting conducting-posts, a bar to which the current is led, said bar having a series of electrically-connected spring-fingers arranged to contact with certain of the con-. ducting-posts and split" up the current, and another bar having a set of electrically-connected spring-fingers arranged to contact with other of the conducting posts and collect the current therefrom; substantially as described.

' 3. In an electric switch, a bar to which the sulated conducting portions arranged to receive the split-up current from the fingers, and another bar having electrically-connected fingers also arranged to contact with the conducting portions of the movable sections and collect the current therefrom; substantially as described.

4. In an electric switch, a shaft or drum having conducting-sections mounted thereon and insulated from each other, each section having a series of projecting conductingposts, a bar to which the current is led, said bar havingat least two series of fingers arranged to contact with certain of the conduct: ing-posts and split up the current, and another bar having at least two'sets of fingers arranged to contact with other of the conducting-posts and collect the current; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. v

ANDREW E. MACCOUN. Witnesses:

W. A. MoDnvrrr, J 01m 0. Loeaiv. 

